My belief is that before we are born, we each 'choose' the life we want to live in order to learn the lessons we need to progress. So actually, we 'do' get to choose both our genes and our environment, as well as the path our life will take! Now that's what I call 'free will'! I know people will not agree, but that's ok! I'm merely stating my point of view!

I don't necessarily agree with you, mainly due to lack of hard evidence, but it is a valid philosophical position, - although no doubt Clydey would still argue "prior causes"!

That's OK Fiverings.......I didn't expect anything else! It's not the kind of thing you can persuade people to believe or offer proof for. Each must find their own. I think Clydey would have a hard time arguing 'prior causes' in this situation, but I've no doubt he would try!

I don't necessarily agree with you, mainly due to lack of hard evidence, but it is a valid philosophical position

Yes, but I don't use a set logical method of thinking like some people insist on. I make my own conjectures based around something I want to be true or I think sounds like a neat idea then any sources that correlate with them can be used to back up these ideas. A valid source could be just my own thoughts or somebody else's or that movie 'Mr Nobody' that throws out the concept that we choose our own parents before we're born, which seems legit to me.

Basically, why would I want to use grounded-logic in my beliefs when it only serves to limit things to a fixed reality?

---p.s. Mr Nobody is actually an interesting film to those that haven't seen it.

! find it extremely interesting that you should believe that you chose your own genes and yet not know who you were/are when you did it Laundry! I believe you were/are a spiritual being.

Oh so like everybody is a spiritual being in heaven before they are here then God tells us that we have to come and do this Earth thing, then our spiritual self resides in this mortal body while we are here but we get to choose the genes and parents and stuff that this mortal body will possess beforehand. Then once our mortal body here is used up and dies we can get to go back to heaven again. I think that's neat.

Then maybe people that have like bad genes and some beings like babies that die of cot death were chosen by individuals that couldn't really be bothered to come here so they just chose bad genes to make sure they died here faster and could get back to heaven quick or to experience some suffering here so they would appreciate heaven more.

How can you choose your genes. You would have to have you and your partner genes tested. Only people who have faulty genes are tested to try and eradicate the chance of them passing them on to their children.

Clydey.. I were to parade the street where I live naked, or buy a gun, or poison my neighbour's dog, or laugh at a homeless person - none of which I would do (but could) - doesn't this mean I have some degree of free will?

As far as I am aware, none these thoughts/actions are inherent to my genetic makeup - but I can vehemently confirm this had no part in my environmental makeup.

It's not just genetics. It's also your experiences i.e. your environment. Your biology and your environment shape who you are. Therefore, everything you do is a product of those factors.

If I ask you to choose a colour, one will pop into your head. Let's say you chose pink. Why didn't you choose blue instead? Your reasoning, whatever it is, will be irrelevant. The colour pink just popped into consciousness when I asked that question. Can you really say that you consciously chose it?

Let's take one of the examples you gave. The factors that lead you to poison your neighbours dog are, again, your biology and your environment. There is no aspect of you that you are responsible for creating. Even if you believe that you have a soul, you didn't choose your soul either.